JAKARTA: The Jakarta administration says that it will construct at least 15 performance stages for New Year’s Eve in the city to avoid centralized crowds that could cause gridlock.

Jakarta Transportation Agency head Udar Pristono said on Tuesday that the stages would be built along Jl. Merdeka Selatan up to the Semanggi clover-leaf bridge on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta. “The fast lane on the roads will be closed starting from 6 p.m., while the slow lane on the left will be closed from 9 p.m.,” Udar said. Udar added that the agency would dispatch 400 to 600 people to safeguard the celebration. “The area will be shut down for a Car Free Night too, and we will assist the police in maintaining security,” he said.